Lean on Me
by HamsterCastiel
Summary: Fili and Kili are on their way to the Shrine by themselves, Kili is excited to get away from home and on a proper adventure while Fili tries to both keep his eyes on his brother and make him realize they were on a serious journey. At the same time they'll discover their feelings for eachother. Will be rated M later for smutty times. Co-writer atlasoftheiliad(.)tumblr(.)com :3
1. Chapter 1

**I started roleplaying this with a close friend of mine...I couldn't help but change it into a fic. My co-writer is , go check her out :3**

Fili wasnt quite the great leader Thorin was yet, but as he pulled Kili aside, to the high clearing on the mountains snowy eastern side with the late afternoon sun, the elder brother tried to summon every bit of importance he could to try and press what he had to say in to Kili. His little brother was woefull unprepared and far too eager for this journey. "Kili, I want you to listen to me, we're going out in to the wilds, not some game hunt either. Thorin bearly allowed you and I along on this quest, so we must make sure we get there, and prove ourselves to our uncle. Kili, no one will think less of you if you turn back now, though I doubt you will..." The blonde couldnt help a sigh at Kili's eagerness, though he smiled inspite of himself. Stoic leader was not a look he had mastered yet. "So we have to rely on eachother, and the party will have to be able to rely on us, no more tricks and games, we're men of Durin's line now, not boys in Thorin's shadow."

Kili walked after his brother's footsteps, sinking knee-deep in the snow after him and kicked the pulverized snow with his feet bored. He knew his brother meant good, but couldn't help but roll his eyes at the lecture he got. "There's no way I'm going back Fili, I'm tired of being home only because I'm the youngest. I'm ready for this." He said confidentally, sheltering his eyes from the bright sun reflecting from the snow. He knew that at the mountains weather could take dramatic turns in matter of minutes, but he also was excited about the mission they were in. "Got it, no more games or pranks to others." Didn't mean he couldn't do it to Fili however, and he grinned a little to himself.

Catching the grin Fili sighed and rolled his eyes. His brother was like a puppy, kicking through the snow... or like a fox, grinning to hide the hen it'd caught, and Fili was often the hen when it came to Kili's pranks, if he wasnt a fellow fox himself. "Good! We have to make haste, and prove ourselves, if you dont want to thought of the youngest, then we set out, and we will ride back as heros! Gimli petitioned to be brought along, but he wasnt, and he is no less young as us, so we must prove we were the right choice brother!" Fili continued on, a fire coming to him, seeming to have gotten the hang of the important speech routine Thorin had been trying to drill in to him since his fathers death.

Kili sighed silently as his brother continued to ramble on. He knew the importance of the journey and he knew what Fili meant by heart thanks to his uncle who had said the same exact thing to them for years. He didn't need to hear it from his brother too. With a plan on his mind Kili crouched scooping snow in his hands and rolling it into one huge ball, throwing it in the air few times before smirking. "Hey, brother!" He didn't wait for Fili to turn, just threw the ball hitting the back of his brother's head.

Fili, who was rambling on a high of self importance and the delusion of finally getting something to stick in Kili's head, had the bubble burst when he found himself on his stomach in a snow drift. It only took a moment before Fili was jumping out of the drift and shaking his golden mane of the snow and scooping another snow ball himself. "Kili! I ought to drag you back to mother and tie you to her apron strings again!" Fili threatened, though the heat was out of it as he tossed a snow ball at his brother, knowing once it left his hand the battle was lost anyway.

His brother just laughed brightly, dodging the snowball with ease and scooped more in his hands taunting his brother. "You have a terrible aim brother!" He grinned throwing his own ball back at Fili. He knew Fili wouldn't send him back, they had practically been connected by their hips since he was born and wherever the other was, the other wouldn't be too far behind.

Fili ducked just bearly this time, packing more snow before taking over behind a tree. "I'll send my apologies to the archery master for skipping lessons!" Fili laughed at his brother before throwing a second snow ball, and stooping to get more snow. The war was long since lost, if Fili had ever even had a chance of winning he doubted it now, all he could hope we to keep their feet on the ground. Kili shook his head amused. "You didn't even take those lessons, you were stuck with your sword!" He pointed out laughing, ducking away from the approaching ball of snow and was about the grab some more snow when he heard the rumble and felt the shift of snow under his feet, which was when the rumble started to get louder. Snow began to shift faster, and soon it was the roar of an avalanche and Fili looked up in shock and surprise.

Kili on the other hand had realized few seconds too late what was happening, his head snapping up and his eyes finding his brother behind the tree looking as shocked as him, his hand reaching out for his brother. "Fili!" The snow under Kili cracked and slid down knocking the younger dwarf with it, the shocked shout echoing in air as he was buried under it, his older brother's panicked call answering it.

**That's the first part, Poor Kili getting buried in snow ike that...Reviews are loved upon~**


	2. Chapter 2

Fili watched shocked as the snow bank gave way, and in only second Kili was swept away in the ocean of churning ice and snow. "KILI!" Fili yelled, hardly caring for the shifting snow beneath his feet as he clambered through it after his brother. Heart pounding, Fili could still hear the rumbling of shifting snows above and below but he didnt care, the worst had already happened in every sense of the word as he slid down the cliffs steep edge to the drifts of snow and odd uprooted tree below. "Kili!?" He called again, sounding frantic as he began digging anywhere that might hide a dwarves too small body.

Kili opened his eyes carefully, greeted by blank darkness and wasn't sure how long he was under, begging and praying to see his brother even one more time. This was not how it was supposed to go, this was not how he was supposed to leave this world! Not alone like this, not by suffocating under the snow. He struggled to get his arms moving, cold wetness seeping through the layers of clothes and small armors a small noise managing to leave between his lips. He could hear his brother search for him, shout to him but it sounded so distant through the snow. Musterig up what strenght he had, Kili pushed his arm up gritting his teeth together, managing to push it through the surface of the snowpile fingers flexing in the cold wind.

Fili looked up in an instant, his every sense trained in on every sound or motion that might be Kili. In the end Kili's hand appearing from the snow was all he needed to dart over, tripping as often as running, before falling to his knees in the snow to start digging. "Damn it Kili! By Gandalf's beard I will drag you back home to mother if you dont survive this!" Fili was shouting, ignoring the lack of logic to his arguement as he finally was able to get his arms around the others waist.

Kili was yanked up from the snow in a fast pull, gasping in air desperately in his lungs coughing it out immediately, the sun shining way too brightly against his face. He was shivering and shaking from the cold and shock, fingers clutching on his brother's chest just focusing on breathing. He was alive, his brother had saved him yet gain. He could feel Fili's erractic breathing against his neck and chest where they were pressed together, focusing on that to get through the shivering state he was in.

His older brother was clutching Kili like he was half again his age and had returned late having skinned his knee exploring the deep caverns of the Blue Mountains. Fili shut his eyes tight against the blazing sun and the possibility they might have gone glassy, nuzzling the top of his little brothers head, and squeezing him tight. The older dwarf wondered if by the end of this he would simply die of heart attack, with his heart still pounding faster then if the mountain had carried him down instead.

Kili swallowed thickly, trying to contain the shivers and brush it off. He was a warrior now, he couldn't go running to his brother from everything no matter how close they were. He didn't want to end up as a burden. "Heh...that was a close call.." He managed to get out teeth clattering together.

Fili shot open his eyes as Kili spoke, and with a swift knock to the head, he was shoving Kili in to the snow once more. "You nearly died! We haven't left home and you're half way to dead!" Fili ranted, grabbing a handful of snow and throwing it at his baby-brother. In the relief of the fact Kili had lived, Fili came to the realization it wasnt Kili nearly killing himself that would kill him, it was the guilt from him failing, him ending up killing Kili that would get Fili in the end.

Pushing himself up from the snow Kili stroked his wet hair away from his face and stared at his brother. "The mountains are wicked brother, slides like these are not unusal even if unfortunate." He was trying to keep his head calm, now was not the time to break and he turned around, gazing into distance. "We'd better keep moving."

Fili let out a long suffering sigh as he stood up. Ruffling his brothers hair just a bit while he tried to get his breathing back under control. "Fine brother. We move onward." Fili caved to his brothers desire, he knew Kili little liked being reminded of mistakes, his fault or otherwise, but what the two brothers missed were the dark clouds over the horizon to the north.

Kili smiled a little at the affectionate gesture, hoping that he wouldn't get sick in his wet clothes, that was the last thing they needed right now. He started walking forward, legs sinking in the snow as he pushed his way throught it, determined to show his brother he wasn't weak or a burden. Fili watched his brother trudging along, while much taller then him now, Fili still reached out an arm around the others waist, smiling to give the pretense it was he that needed the help. Stabilized by eachother the going was much better save the occasional stumble over a hidden branch, and warmer though besides. "Keep this up, and you'll beating me in sparring matches before long." Fili said, trying encourage his brother along and ease up the mood in the wake of the avalanche.

"One day I will kick your ass so hard you can't sit." Kili treathened with a playful smirk.

Fili elbowed Kili, even as he shook his head at the others antics. "Eloquent brother, and poorly backed for the moment!" Fili was glad his brother was in his high spirits again, as much as he worried for the others saftey on the journey, he would rather be his brother's shield then see Kili's young spirits dampen anyway.

Kili turned his head eyes gleaming in challenge. "You will see it, sooner or later. One day in practice I will beat you." He turned his eyes back forward, the darkness catching his attention and he stopped staring at the sky. Fili was about to raise protest when his brothers expression changed from the daring cockyness he was so used to, to sudden worry. Turning towards the sky, Fili was sure his own face must have matched Kili's. "...I think that these mountains are out to way lay us at this rate..." Fili spoke in a tired voice, glancing around the forest for anything that might protect them, guessing roughly the brothers had only minuets. Damn them for picking the early spring to set forth on their journey to meet Thorin and Gandalf in the shire. "I dont suppose you know any hidden holes brother? You always did favor the hunt."

Kili turned to look at the forest, then back to the mountain and tried to think of their choices quickly. They didn't have long, any minute now a storm would be upon them and he had to agree his brother's statement that the mountain wanted to end their journey. "I think I have something." He said pointing towards the forest. "Follow me!" He made sure that Fili understood before dashing towards the forestline, eyes flicking over to the sky now and then. He was used to run around as he hunted, but this was different in wet, heavy clothes and armors and the urgent need to get to safety. Fili watched his brother, lanky and too tall for himself yet gallop off through the snow like some colt, and was suddenly thankful for the youngers love of the hunt as he hurried after, following the deep bounding tracks in the snow, ever yet watching the sky darken like impending night despite the early hour.

Kili finally managed to find the old tree he had stumbled upon few years back, pushing himself through the small opening and entering a warm, dry space inside the tree.

"I wonder yet if you are dwarf or martin!" Fili commented as he climbed in after his brother, shifting and accidentally elbowing Kili as he settled in to the space, that in their youth would have been perfect, but now was hardly large enough for two nearly grown dwarves.

Kili snorted shaking his head, squirming a little to get as comfortable as he could in the tree. "Shut it, this is the closest one to safety we have right now." He pointed out listening the wind pick up speed. "There is one cavern a little further away from here, we could make it if we run." He turned to look at his brother. "It'd be spacier and with good luck it has wood in it that we can use to make fire so we won't freeze."

Fili closed his eyes and tried to think, with their packs and sodden clothing they would never make it in time, if it was any distance away. He would shoulder Kili's burdens, but if he got lost and died in the snow, it was be more useful just to have left Kili back in the snow drift. Opening his eyes suddenly, it seemed the older dwarf had a plan. "Kili, can you find this tree come morning?" He asked, quickly taking off his pack in between them and pulling out a blanked and the sack of food.

Kili looked surprised at the question but nodded grinning. "Who do you think you're talking to? Of course I'll find back here." He watched his brother unpack some of his stuff, and knew he had a plan which he would follow till the end. Fili smiled at his brother, between the two of them they might make it out of this. "Good. We leave the packs here, and come back for them in the morning. Without the weight, I think we can make it. Get your matches and food." Fili hurriedly ordered his brother, turning the blanket in to a much smaller pack to carry the food and matches once Kili produced them.

Kili gave his brother what he needed, placing their bags in the far side of the tree and looked at him. "Ready?" When he got the nod of approval, Kili breathed in deeply before squeezing out of the tree, dashing in the directions of the cavern. It wasn't as easy as minutes ago, the wind had picked up speed and there was snow flying all around them, making it harder to see. He just wished they got in the safety in time or they would get lost and freeze to death.

**There, second chapter uploaded before going back to the dorms :3 Will they find the cave or do they have another plan? *grin* Thank you for the reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

Fili shouldered the makeshift pack and hurried after his brother, it was harder going now with darkness closing in like the hands of night to smother them. The further they went the heavier the wind, and darker the sky, untill it seemed content to drive them apart, "KILI!" Fili called to his brother over the winds howls, reaching out to take his brothers hand, before the two of them truely were seperated in the harsh storm.

Kili had one arm covering his face, the other one grasbed tightly in his brother's hand determined to hold on and not let go, pulling his brother through the storm until he saw the dark entrance of the cave. "Just a little more!" He called back to him, pushing against the wind until he stumbled in the cave dragging his brother after them, both looking more like snowmen than dwarf at the moment.

Fili tumbled in to the cave beside his brother, shaking of what felt like sheets of snow and sleet. "Damn if we wont have to dig ourselves out of this place come morning!" Fili grumbled as he tried to shake some snow from his sleeves, while distastefully watching the blizzard set in. Drawing his eyes fromt he storm though the elder dwarf could see the cavern was deep, only feet from the enterance darkness set in and began to swallow what could have been only feet, or maybe endless miles of cavern. But it was safe and the floor covered in dry leaf litter. "Atleast we can make a fire without much worry of orc! Unless you still believe in barrow-wrights and ghouls in dark corners." Fili looked mischievously up at his brother, smiling knowingly. He had spent too many night of their childhood scarring the dark haired dwarf half to death with tales of such monsters, some old stories he had heard, some he just invented to scare a toddling little Kili off wandering dark caverns without a guide.

Turning back around Kili kneeled on the ground starting to gather a pile of the leaf litter to get them a fire started before it'd get too dark to see anything, glaring at his brother with a small blush of embarrassment. "Those are just a fairytale my brother. And i'm certainly not a kid anymore."

Fili smiled fondly and nodded. "I know, you certainly are not, brother." Fili responded, whistling a little as he set to helping gather leaves and finding a decent place to sleep. "Are you also too grown to share a bed with me then?" The blonde dwarf asked, all the mischief returned to his voice now, knowing he had the upper hand again. "Brother?"

Kili shook his head grabbing the matched from the makeshift bag, managing to create fire after few attemtps and lowered the burning stick into the leaves feeling relieved when they tsarted to burn sloly but surely, basking the insides of the cave in an orange, warm glow. "Even if I would, which I say I'm not, we'd still better share because the nights is going to be a very cold one." He replied matter of factly, grinning at his brother. "So I guess you have to endure me kicking you in your sleep."

Fili rolled his eyes at the younger, finally having finished setting up a passable bed for the two of them while Kili had busied himself with the fire. "Then I suppose when we reach the end of these mountains, we'll have to make two bed rolls instead of one?" Fili said as he stepped towards the fire, holding out his hands, and thoroughly enjoying trying to get his brother to if not admit, atleast to blush. "I know how you hate to make me endure anything and all."

Kili 's eyes stared at his brother startled for a moment before quickly hiding it behind his hair, gazing into the fire as he sat before it. They had always shared a bed roll, not caring if other would sleep a little restlessly some nights and he loved it that way. The security of his brother's arms around him, the breath against his neck that assured him that his brother was well and alive. But if Fili didn't want that anymore...maybe he really was a burden. "If that is your wish, brother."

Fili heard the almost hurt tone enter his brothers voice, and with a quiet sigh crept behind the younger dwarf. "Only if it should be yours." Fili murmered fondly, wrapping his arms around Kili's waist. "Of course, if you continue to pout like this, I think I would have to be inclinded to disregard your wishes." he added in goodnaturedly, his arms tightening around kili briefly, more glad of the warm frmiliar body heat that his brother provided then the flickering fire light.

Kili shook his head, leaning against his brother's body with a sigh. "I'm used to sleep next you. It'd be weird to start sleeping separately." He admitted swatting Fili's head a little to the latest comment before relaxing in his arms, enjoying the warmth of his familiar body and the fire.

Fili nodded and rested his chin on Kili's shoulder, glad that even with the days events and the mountains seeming intent to waylay them, the brothers would have a decent night before their real journey began. For Fili though it hardly mattered, his home was not truely the Blue Mountains as many had made it so, but his home following Thorin, with Kili at his side. So long as Kili was there, he was home enough.

"Will you miss it? Ered Luin?" Fili suddenly asked, the thought of Kili and his own lack of regret at leaving the Blue Mountains making him realize, for as little as he thought of the Blue mountains as home, kili had largely grown up there, unlike himself who earliest remembered the roads and Thorin. 'If- When, when we win this quest, there will be a grand home for us in Erebor, but will you miss our homes here? in these hills?"

Kili closed his eyes slowly, shrugging his shoulders. "Of course I will miss it, but...I want to go home. To the place where we all belong. I don't remember much of that place..it's a pity." he sighed turning his head a little to look at his brother. "How about you? There's a lot of dangers on this journey."

Fili took his brothers hands in his own, mostly out of habit, having spent soo much of his life with Kili's smaller hands in his own, though the dark haired dwarves hands were larger then his own, and just as calloused, it didnt change the framiliar comfort it offered. "With a wizard in our employ, Thorin leading us, and all the omens in align, my biggest fear of peril on this quest is you getting lost in the forest, chasing will-o-whisp." Fili met his brothers gaze, tightening his embrace for a moment to show he ment jest. Mostly.

Kili gasped in mock-shock, colliding the back of his head with Fili's forehead none too gently. "That only happened once and it was when I was 23 summers old!" He protested flushing lightly, hiding a yawn against his arm finally starting to feel warmed up and comfortable. Fili finally let go of the other, ruffling Kili's allready tousseled and dark locks. "Then I shall assume the other times were not will-o-whisp, and just fearies?" Fili teased as he stepped arund the fire and out of Kili's reach, looking bemused.

Kili snorted following his brother where he had rolled out the bed roll, shaking his head. "What about that one time you fell into a bear trap?" He teased sliding under the covers. Fili shrugged off his heavy coat, before following Kili in to the bed roll, prehaps elbowing the other harder then could be deemed accidental the bear trap comment while he situationed himself, sliding in easily with the darker haired dwarf. "I was told to check the traps, and check I did. I wasnt the one who placed it though either.' Fili feigned indigance, but was smiling too much inspite of himself for it to have done much good anyway.

Finally finding a spot nestled in the leaves and worn fabric, Fili pulled his heavy coat over the two of them as a second blanket, before slipping her arm around his brother, and much to his chagrin, ducked his head under Kili's chin, be damned the boy and his summer growth spurt.

Kili chuckled amused. "So you did, a /throughout/ check you did." Kili smiled feeling his brother's arm slip around his waist, and then the head under his chin and slipped his own arm on his brother's shoulder. He loved to sleep like that, close to the person who mattered most to him. It didn't take him long to fall into a soft slumber, the fire cracking in the silence.

Fili tugged lightly on the little pony-tail kili had affected of late in retort, falling asleep not long after, lulled by the dying crackle of the fire, and steady beat of the others heart, clutching his brother telling himself it was just for the sake of warmth and proximity, but even in sleep Fili never truely relaxed his protective hold. Even as the light of several eyes reflected the light of dying embers late in to the night, the two dwarves dead to the world in eachothers arms, storm at their back, and the darkness closing in as the last few coals dimmed away to nothing.

They were woken up rudely not few hours later, Kili's eyes snapping open in shock when he was brutally yanked away from his brother's arms and against a very big, very cold chest and his arms were seized. "Fili!"

**And here you have yet another cliffhanger, see how much I love you? *grins* Thank you everyone for the reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

Fili woke with a start as grabbing and clawing hands siezed him, only waking up with enough time to see Kili being ripped away and held against a monsterous creature he only could wish now was a childs tale. "KILI!" He yelled, struggling hard despite the disorientation. It was near total darkness, save the odd light from flickering torched further back in the cave, and the luminous orbs that he knew were eyes. "I'll have ye' heads!" Fili cursed, elbowing, kicking, shoving, doing anything to get away or atleast get to the knife tucked in to his sleeves and get to Kili. But his struggles only vainly met more clawed hands, and bitter laugher, jeers, and hoots of amusment from their tormentors. The older dwarves mind too addled with adrenaline and an overpowering need to get to even know where he swung his fist anymore, only that they were being moved and at an alarming pace away from the caverns gaping mouth, in to the red flickering light of the caverns depths.

The younger dwarf tried to find his brother with his eyes, pressing back against the creatures holding him, fighting to get back to his brother. He cursed silently in his mind for their stupidity, for not making sure if the cave was safe enough to stay in. He had lead them into their possible doom and it made Kili feel cold all over. It'd be his fault if Fili would die. "Let go! I'm warning you!" Kili shouted sinking his teeth into one of their arms, earning a yelp of pain and a hard slap on his face.

Finally succeeded in getting his knife, Fili was close enough now and the light bright enough he could see his brother, fighting hard, biting one goblin only to earn a slap he would take vengance for. Now armed the dwarf let out a roaring battle cry as he began to slash as whatever flesh he could, treating the goblins like thick brush to be chopped down so he could reach Kili. "Kili! Take my hand!" He yelled, reaching out for his brother while the hord like a throbbing sea tried to grab and drag him ever away

Kili turned his head fast at the cry of his brother, the left side of his face burning where he had been hit and struggled to get himself free. He worried for his brother's safety, watching him mindlessly slash through the goblins trying to get to him. Kili grit his teeth together managing to yank himself free, linking his hand together with his brother.

Fili finally held firm grasp on his brother, fighting and stabbing his way back towards the caves mouth with the ferocity of a lion, more pulling Kili along than anything. For a few brief and fluttering moments Fili thought he'd done, they'd get out alive, and he could amend his foolish mistake of not setting watches or checking the cavern, but with a great tug and sudden lurch, Fili impacted with the hard stone floor of the cave. Letting out a cry of pain, he barely had the time to blink stars from his eyes before he was being jerked up right once more and shuffled along, realizing he held on Kili's glove and that his brother was no longer in sight before his world darkened, and he went limp.

Kili's screams of protest echoed in the cave when his brother was knocked down, his grasp from Fili's hand pulling loose, losing his glove in the progress. In the second that the goblins were busy holding his brother down, Kili escaped into the shadows heart thundering in his chest as he watched his brother being dragged further in the cave, following in a safe distance, just hoping he'd find a way to save him.

Slowly opening his eyes, Fili groaned in pain as his head hurt as if the entire weight of a mountain had fallen on him, and his body felt in roughly the same condition. It had been the smell that awoke him really, the pain was a dull throb like hours old bruising already, but the smell of decay, or pestilence, detritus, and other unknown fouls, mingled with the hounds of squeals, jeers, hoots, and gnashing choppy bits of unintelligible language had woken him up.

Even with the loss of his coat, Fili felt like he was wrapped in heavy wool, too numbed by everything to be frightened until as he looked towards either side of him he saw horror and terrible goblin faces yes, but what frightened him was what he didn't see, Kili. Rising up like an eagle, Fili ran at the rusty but more then strong bars of his cage, screaming out in rage as he flung himself at any side of the cage like an animal seeking escape, seeking a sign of his brother nearby. "KILI! KILI!?" He screamed over and over, to the laughing jeers of the goblins.

All dark and warped figured, the space was set in half like an arena, tiered benches had been worked in to the walls in steep and narrow intervals untill it could go no higher, with the center reserved as a mix of dumping ground for bones, some picked clean, others still covered in rotting flesh, all around a great bone fire. Fili's cage, and several others, all as thankfully as woefully empty, we're set in to sides so the carved in benches ringed each cage. He could see the tunnel exit, this was no craftsmenship to this lair, just a terrible place built of vile hands for the slaughter. Hands that built up the fire as they danced over bones of past meals, and sharpened cleavers and other bone knives on makeshift grind stones.

Fili blanched at it all, his rage earning him nothing but being stuck by knives and spears anytime he neared the walls, leaving him to sink down low in the center of the cage. It didnt matter though. Kili was gone to him, and for it, he deserved his fate. He had taken his all too eager and all too beloved brother out in the wild, and failed to protect him. Clutching the leather archery glove, Fili was willing to accept whatever fate awaited him, and if it was the same fate as Kili, he would gladly taken a thousand times over. "Oh my brother... I have failed you terribly, and mother shall not even know of it, not Thorin." He murmured, shielding his eyes from the ever growing fire. Even if he did escape, it was no good. He could not to go to meet Thorin, and tell him he lost his brother, lost Thorin's nephew, lost his mothers child.

Fili knew he lacked the strength to face down such confessions, he would become a wanderer before he stood before so many and told them of the grevious loss he had caused and been entrusted with. More then that, he could think of no worse fate then to follow Thorin on this quest, and look to his side to mark their victory over Erebor, and not find Kili. His golden tressed and heavy braids shadowed his face from the fire as Fili's heart turned leaden.

Kili stood few feet up at a ledge above the fireplace, above the cages and the goblins. It pained him that he wasn't able to do anything yet, not with that many goblins down there, not while his brother fought like a wild animal that made Kili feel proud towards his brother. But then Fili slumped down, and he could catch the sight of his glove in his brother's hand, realization hitting him as hard as the sight of pure agony on Fili's face. Fili thought he had died. He had lost his will to fight forward, feeling like a failure and Kili cursed himself yet again for bringing them over in the stupid cave in first place. The wait seemed to never end, but finally there was only one goblin left to keep an eye on the prisoner. Carefully Kili pulled his bow out from his back, aiming the arrow at the creature before shooting it neatly through its left eye.

Fili looked up suddeny, the whirl of something cutting through the air, and the sudden thump and shrill screams of a dying goblin shook him hard. Fili bared his teeth and held up a small knife, more ment for eating fruit then combat, but it was better then his fist, as he waited to either be struck down or saved by some kind fate he wasn't entirely sure he wanted. "Show yourself!" He bellowed, instinct winning over misery as the distant, but not distant enough sounds of running feet could be heard echoing from the yet deeper caverns, the goblins were alerted. Their dying brothers still sickly screeches echoing the stone room and magnified a hundred fold yet.

Kili hurried down the path in the shadows, knowing that he didn't have much of a time to get his brother out of the cage. Appearing in the light of the fire, Kili looked pale as he circled the first body he had ever caused, digging around for the key and running back to the cage when he found it, unlocking the heavy brasslock. "We have to hurry!"

Fili was clutching Kili as soon as the cage door swung open, his embrace tighter then when the avalanche had nearly swept him away, thought far briefer as the boar like cries of the goblins echoed closer and closer. Heart hammering like the drums of war, Fili clutched his brothers arm tightly, running with all speed, boots crunching bones, shoulders hitting stone wall. Despite it all, Fili began laughing as the exit came in to sight. As they burst out in to the first drifts of snow, the winter air biting at their skin, and the sounds of screaming goblins behind them, Fili laughed for lack of any idea what else to do. He had been ready to die with glee, and Kili burst in like some hero of old to save him. Without a thought in his head the iron grip on Kili's arm suddenly was used to swing the younger dwarf around, as Fili crushed their lips together.

**There, I'm feeling nice and leaving you a happier cliffhanger. No near death ends this time *laughs***


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